Andi Garnett

While many scoffed at claims that Modern Warfarewouldn't include loot boxes, Activision has today confirmed this would be the case while also announcing a new Battle Pass system.

"We’ve set our sights on not only creating the best game possible this year, but also on breaking down walls and bringing the community together," reads a statement on the Activision Blog.

While not available at launch, the Battle Pass will release later this year and offer both free and premium streams. Tiers will be unlocked through COD Points which can be earned simply by playing the game.

Both the Battle Pass and Modern Warfare's in-game store will offer cosmetic content which will not impact game balance.

Battle Passes have become a preferred model for a number of large games. Popularised by Fortnite, the model was recently adopted by Destiny in its latest expansion, and offers a transparent method for microtransactions where players can first see what they are purchasing or unlocking.

Activision also stated it would remove Season Pass and DLC multiplayer map packs to "ensure everyone can play together," while post-launch maps and modes would be released for free across all platforms simultaneously.